NU Opens Season in Seminole Quad TournamentThe No. 60 Nebraska men’s tennis team begins its 2014 spring season this weekend in Florida. Nebraska will face both Florida Gulf Coast and Florida State in Tallahassee as part of the Seminole Quad Tournament. The Huskers will take on Florida Gulf Coast Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by the match against Florida State Monday at 9 a.m. Results for both matches will be posted on Huskers.com.

Huskers Hope to Climb Ladder in Big TenIn their third year in the conference, the No. 60 Nebraska men’s tennis team will look to build upon their success from last season and finish near the top of the Big Ten this year. The Huskers have their work cut out for them with eight other Big Ten teams joining them in the ITA Top 75. Nebraska secured the 10th-seed in the 2013 Big Ten Tournament after finishing with a conference record of 2-9. The Huskers ended their season with a loss to seventh-seeded Michigan State in the Big Ten first round.

Videtich, Blackwell Set to Lead Big RedThe Huskers are a team primarily made up of underclassmen and will look for leadership from seniors Brandon Videtich and Tom Blackwell. Videtich, a sixth-year senior from Lincoln East, finished the 2012-13 season with a 10-8 singles record and 15-20 on the doubles court. Videtich also earned academic All-Big Ten honors in 2013. Blackwell, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., enters his senior season with 34 career singles victories to go along with six doubles wins. He was one of the top performers for the Huskers last season, finishing the season with a 16-14 record in singles and a 3-2 record in doubles. Blackwell was especially strong in the spring, posting a 14-9 record on the singles court. These two veterans will be key to the Huskers’ success in 2014 and the continued development of the underclassmen.

Sophomores Shoot to Step UpThe 2014 Nebraska men’s tennis team is young, evident by the core of the roster being sophomores. Of the 13 men on the roster, five are sophomores, including Dusty Boyer, Marc Herrmann, Andrew Dzulynsky, Scott Elsass and Bradford Zitsch. Two more are redshirt freshmen, including Court Clark and Chris Schindler.Boyer, a native of Ham Lake, Minn., will be expected to be a leader on the court after a strong freshman season. Boyer managed to produce a pair of winning records on the season, posting a 19-16 record in singles and a 14-13 record in doubles. Herrmann, from Rohrback, Germany, also had a successful freshman season for the Huskers, ending the year with a 17-20 record in singles while adding 13 victories on the doubles court. He also earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for 2013. This past fall, Herrmann paired with newcomer Beau Treyz to become the first-ever Big Ten Indoors Doubles champions in school history. Dzulynsky, a native of Miramar, Fla., will be looked upon to contribute heavily this season after gaining valuable experience in his freshman campaign. Dzulynsky finished the season with a 3-6 record in singles. Elsass, from Eden Prairie, Minn., was a regular in the doubles lineup, finishing 12-12 on the season, while also adding four wins in singles. Zitsch, from Columbia, Mo., was also a mainstay on the doubles court, notching 15 wins to go along wih a 6-6 record in singles. Clark, a native of Lincoln, earned valuable experience on the practice court during his redshirt season. Clark will look to contribute in the Husker lineup this season. Schindler, a native of Frankfurt, Germany, will also be looked upon to contribute on the court after a productive redshirt season.

Newcomers Could Make Instant ImpactsThe Huskers expect to get production from a trio of fresh faces in 2014. Beau Treyz, a senior transfer from North Florida, has already introduced himself to the Big Ten, partnering with Marc Herrmann to bring home the Big Ten Indoor Doubles title this fall. Freshman Charlie Shin, a native of South Korea, has spent the past few years playing and studying in Texas. He was ranked No. 23 nationally in 2009 and finished his Junior career as the No. 5 player in Texas. Vasileios Stavropoulos, a freshman from Athens, Greece, will bring a ton of international experience to the program. In Greece, he was ranked No. 1 nationally in Boys 14 and Boys 16 singles and doubles.

NU Gears Up for Challenging ScheduleNebraska will play against plenty of quality competition this season, as the schedule contains 11 teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last spring and 14 teams ranked in the preseason ITA Top 75. The Huskers will play Denver, Louisville, Creighton, Utah, North Dakota, Drake and Nebraska-Omaha at home as part of their non-conference schedule, and will host Big Ten opponents Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern and Illinois.

Coach McDermott Ready for Another SeasonThe Huskers will again be led by Kerry McDermott, who is in his 33rd season with the program. Over the years, McDermott has helped four Huskers reach the national tournament in singles, along with leading five doubles teams to the tournament, as well. McDermott has the school-record for career wins with 352, more than triple of anyone else.